Hairy tales: How babies in Spain are developing werewolf syndrome

European babies have been developing hypertrichosis as a side effect of their parents taking anti-baldness medications.

According to the Spanish daily El Pais, the Pharmacovigilance Centre of Navarre (CFN) in Spain found that 11 infants had recently had the unusual condition, also known as werewolf syndrome, which is connected to a caregiver’s usage of minoxidil.

The doctors discovered that each of the patients’ carers used five per cent topical minoxidil.

Here’s all we know about the condition.

Werewolf syndrome

Hypertrichosis, another name for werewolf syndrome, is a condition in which excessive hair grows in undesirable areas. The condition could be acquired (occurring later in life) or congenital (existing from birth).

It differs from hirsutism, which causes excessive hair growth in parts of the body such as the back, chest, upper lip, and chin that are dependent on androgen. Those assigned girls at birth are specifically affected by hirsutism.

Less than 100 cases of “werewolf syndrome” have been reported in medical archives since the Middle Ages.

Fine hair of up to five centimetres in length grows on the face, arms, and other body parts as a result of this disorder.

Currently, there is no cure for hypertrichosis.

To control their symptoms, people with the condition must regularly use hair removal techniques including shaving and waxing.

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Cases of werewolf syndrome in Spanish infants

El Economista reported that 11 werewolf syndrome cases have been found in infants in Spain.

According to the report in 2023, medical researchers became interested in a case of “werewolf syndrome” after hair appeared on a nursing baby’s entire body in just two months.

After interviewing the family, the health officials learnt that the father of the child had reportedly applied five per cent minoxidil topically.

Additionally, it was stated that the child’s condition entirely reverted after the father stopped treating androgenic alopecia.

Following the analysis of the April 2023 case, the CFN looked through the EudraVigilance databases of the European Medicines Agency and the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System and discovered ten more recent werewolf syndrome cases in Europe that were connected to minoxidil.

Although the symptoms in each of these cases disappeared once the parent stopped taking minoxidil, the CFN’s Information Bulletin insisted that the issue remained serious.

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The medication

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved minoxidil for sale to persons with age-related hair loss without a prescription.

Several well-known over-the-counter hair loss remedies, such as Rogaine, Hims, Keeps, Equate, and other generic medications, contain minoxidil as one of their active ingredients.

The medication, which comes in liquid or foam form and is applied directly to the skin, enhances blood flow by relaxing and expanding blood vessels, which can promote hair growth.

Since the medication also lowers blood pressure, it was initially created to treat high blood pressure.

According to the CFN’s notice, there are two potential ways for minoxidil to enter a child’s body: through the mouth or the skin.

A baby may be exposed to minoxidil if they attempt to suck or chew their caregiver’s hands or heads after the medication has been applied because it is applied straight to the skin.

As an alternative, skin-to-skin contact could result in exposure. A baby’s skin has a thinner outer layer than an older person’s, making it more capable of absorbing environmental chemicals.

In a different case, a rare congenital form of hypertrichosis was identified in a two-year-old girl in Malaysia. The girl’s condition differed from those associated with minoxidil exposure in the environment.

Warning labels

Medical experts have cautioned that families have experienced severe stress as a result of vulnerable babies being exposed to medications that were not meant for them and being examined for disorders that might be causing excessive hair growth.

According to Newsweek, which cited them, infants who are exposed to minoxidil may also be at risk for kidney and heart problems.

These cases have led to the need that minoxidil supplied in Europe to contain warnings on its package regarding the danger of hypertrichosis in newborns. The warnings advise users to keep their hands away from young children in the areas where the medicine has been applied.

Other countries that allow the sale of minoxidil might also want to be aware of these concerns.

With inputs from agencies